In general, the present invention relates to barriers and, in particular, the present invention relates to apparatus for impeding fluids, primarily water as may be experienced in a flood.
Problems have existed for many years relating to an effective use of barriers for impeding flood waters. Typically, sandbags have been placed end to end to form a horizontal barrier and stacked one upon another to form a levee to impede the flow of water. The use of sandbags for this purpose has many disadvantages, because use of the sandbags requires transportation of a large quantity of sand for filling the bags, a great number of people to fill the sandbags, a long period of time to fill the sandbags, and environmental disposal of the sandbags, after the flow of water has subsided, as a result of oil, fuel, and other toxic chemicals that may have seeped into the sandbags.
The present invention eliminates the above difficulties and disadvantages of the prior art by providing a barrier and to a levee system made of a plurality of the barriers, with each barrier including a fluid-fillable body made of a non-rigid sheet material, a plurality of planar support members within the body for maintaining a desired shape of the barrier, and a port for introducing fluid into the barrier.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a barrier and a levee system made of a plurality of the barriers, wherein each barrier includes a body portion made of a non-rigid sheet material and having a first end, a second end in opposed relation to the first end.
The body portion includes first side attached to the first and second ends. A first planar support member made of a substantially rigid sheet material and having a width substantially equal to the width of the first side is attached to an interior surface of the first side for substantially maintaining the form of the first side.
A second side of the body portion is attached to the first and second ends and the first side, and a second planar structural support member made of a substantially rigid sheet material and having a width substantially equal to the width of the second side, is attached to an interior surface of the second side for maintaining the form of the second side; and a base is attached to the first and second ends and the first and second sides. The first and second ends and the first, second, and the base define the body portion, and a port is provided in fluid communication with an interior chamber of the body portion for introducing liquid into the interior chamber of the body portion.
A further aspect of the invention relates to a barrier and a levee system made of a plurality of the barriers, wherein each barrier includes a fluid-fillable body made of a plurality of portions of a non-rigid sheet material secured to a pair of planar support members, and a port for introducing fluid into the body.
A still further aspect of the invention relates to a barrier and a levee system made of a plurality of the barriers, wherein each barrier includes first and second planar support members made of a substantially rigid material and a plurality of a non-rigid sheet material portions attached to portions of the planar support members to define a continuous, fluid impervious enclosure. The non-rigid sheet material portions include first and second end portions, a bottom portion and an upper portion. At least one port is provided in fluid communication with the enclosure for introducing fluid into the enclosure.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.